Tosen Stardom to step out at Valley

MELBOURNE Aug 29 2016

Japanese import Tosen Stardom is set to make his Melbourne debut for the Darren Weir stable in the Group Two Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes.

Weir has confirmed he plans to have four runners in Saturday's weight-for-age race over 1600 metres at Moonee Valley with Mahuta likely to back up after his third in Saturday's Group One Memsie stakes won by stablemate Black Heart Bart.

Melbourne's premier trainer also has Signoff and Real Love heading to the Moonee Valley race.

Tosen Stardom has already competed in Australia when trained by Yasutoshi Ikee to finish second in the Group One Ranvet Stakes and fifth in the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes during the 2015 Sydney autumn carnival.

The Japanese horse made the trip to Sydney again for this year's Queen Elizabeth Stakes but was ruled out by a mandatory three-month ban when stewards determined the horse had bled from both nostrils after trackwork at the Canterbury quarantine facility.

Australian Bloodstock then bought into Tosen Stardom and he was transferred to Weir.

The trainer said he spoke to Australian Bloodstock's Jamie Lovett on Sunday to confirm Tosen Stardom's campaign would begin in the Dato.

"I just said we're probably better off starting this Saturday and they agreed," Weir told Melbourne's RSN927 on Monday.

"So he'll go around in the Dato.

"He's had two trials and trialled well. He's obviously a good galloper.

"He's a beautiful big, strong horse and obviously we just want him running through the line. He's going to be in the right order, hopefully, so providing he gallops well tomorrow he'll take his spot on Saturday."